Wednesday, September 20, 2006

In Ter Es Ting

In the past month I've experienced this phenomenon 3 times. But before I tell you what it is, let me first say that we hoard U.S. dollars. The Belize dollar is not an openly traded currency, we are not a part of the IMF, it does not float, it is artificially pegged 2 to 1 to the U.S. dollar, and guess what its worthless beyond our borders, hence hoarding U.S. dollars that come into the store. Needless to say, we don't give out U.S. dollars as change usually, unless we are completely out of Belize dollars, or someone has a gun to my head. Well, 3 times this month when I've had to use U.S. cash, its been refused as change. Refused? Yes.

The exchange has gone like this: I hand the young yur-o-pean woman her change and she hands back the U.S. dollars with a sick-horrified look on her face and says, "Uuuuuggghhh! Don't you have something else?" with a shudder.
"Sure," I say, and hand her a cup full of Belizean shillings. "Money is Money."
The first time it happened, I just blew it off to hippy chic fickleness. The second time it happened, It piqued my interest, although I was NOT interested in asking WHY? Its obvious WHY. The third time it happened, I'm wondering is this a grass roots movement? The only other person that I know of in te world that doesn't want U.S. dollars, is Fidel Castro.

O.K. now talk amongst yourselves, I'm getting ready for the big Caye Caulker Cool Art & Tastefest this Saturday.

As a side note, I was on the radio this morning (about the Tastefest) and Supergirl said I didin't sond like too big of a hillbilly. I think that's great, being that I'm FROM THE NORTH and have been a DAMN YANKEE my whole life.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

the dollar is pretty sad actually- talking about sad- i was DEPRESSED after a certain trip to europe right after the euro- change over- when i realized that the SHOPPING SPREES were OVER!

what the heck! seriously- its sad

Anonymous said...

Wow, another Radio star, eh!!
You'll have to post some photos of the Tastefest, yummy!!!

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Don't let nobody fool you, them Cubam people want de yankee dollah, it's just that they're AFRAID to get caught with it.

Here folks would do anything to get it.

Hayden said...

Really interesting, I wonder if it will become a trend among Europeans?

I haven't been to Cuba yet, but my friends who have confirm what GG says... they're eager for US $$, and happy to trade cigars, hotel rooms, whatever for it.